Driving

wilko · March 2019

I have just received today from the DWP under freedom of information all the information they held on me regarding PIP. It was an interesting read having had two PIP acessments and reports from both all accurately reported and awarded the correct benefits, what I have noticed written down is because I drive so my mental state is fine and should be able to follow and plan a journey and need good strength in the wrists to steer the car and have good head and arm movements. The fact we report we can still drive even short distances it is held against us for good reason by the acessors at our acessments. Easy to draw or come to conclusions by our actions and statements how ever given or intended.

twonker · March 2019

wilko said:

I have just received today from the DWP under freedom of information all the information they held on me regarding PIP. It was an interesting read having had two PIP acessments and reports from both all accurately reported and awarded the correct benefits, what I have noticed written down is because I drive so my mental state is fine and should be able to follow and plan a journey and need good strength in the wrists to steer the car and have good head and arm movements. The fact we report we can still drive even short distances it is held against us for good reason by the acessors at our acessments. Easy to draw or come to conclusions by our actions and statements how ever given or intended.

It is a wonder then how so many claimants manage to get an Enhanced award of Care & Mobility if they have a mobility car and drive it regularly?

wilko · March 2019

Yes it had had me wondering, had I not requested this information I would not of know about these comments to bring to members attention, as they are not mentioned in the acessment report. I have MS don’t drive far or for long periods so was shocked on reading these comments, it may be my acessors comments only not every acessor. Having enhanced mobility award and getting a mobility car is out of the acessors remit. We have enhanced awards because of our inability to walk more than 20 meters, as for me personally my symptoms must have allowed the acessor to come to the conclusion.

CockneyRebel · March 2019

Sometimes the ability to drive can lead to certain assumptions, as to upper body strength, dexterity, being able to follow a route etc. But having a mobility car should not in any way be detrimental, you might have a designated driver for example

Fetlock · March 2019

I think driving is a relevant one. If someone is claming problems with memory and the abillity to read and understand etc yet drives a car then if they have any cognitive ipairment, unless very mild, they shouldn't be driving.

Mild cognitive difficulties aren't notifiable to the DVLA but anything more than that is.

twonker · March 2019

CockneyRebel said:

Sometimes the ability to drive can lead to certain assumptions, as to upper body strength, dexterity, being able to follow a route etc. But having a mobility car should not in any way be detrimental, you might have a designated driver for example

Yes that would work, but if the claimant says that they do the driving then what?
Assuming that it is a manual gearbox, you should include the use of the legs as well.

But those assumptions are what they are assumptions and have no bearing on the physical ability to walk no more than 20 metres which is what the test is all about.

Let's be honest I drive, drive about 9000 miles a year. The car has a manual gearbox. Notwithstanding that if I was to try to walk, based on the criteria and taking into account the reliability factor I should score enough for standard mobility. Yet the DWP thought otherwise as did the assessor. Their opinion was that I could walk more than 200 metres! Not having the faintest of an idea how one could prove otherwise I let it go.

exdvr · March 2019

I wonder how Douglas Bader would have got on in a PIP assessment? Fighter pilot, parachutist after being shot down, able to escape from POW camps by abseiling down walls, driver, low handicap golfer, and so on and so forth.....would he even be classed as disabled??

twonker · March 2019

ilovecats said:

exdvr said:

I wonder how Douglas Bader would have got on in a PIP assessment? Fighter pilot, parachutist after being shot down, able to escape from POW camps by abseiling down walls, driver, low handicap golfer, and so on and so forth.....would he even be classed as disabled??

Yep. If you cannot stand and move with one organic foot on the floor then you'd score 12F!

Which makes complete sense except for the young guy that walked onto the football pitch not only in view of 1,000's of spectators but also on prime time TV as a war hero had his mobility allowance taken away from him. They seemed to forget that he had two artificial legs!

miracle · March 2019

Hi @wilko, i have recently been for an ESA face to face assessment. Still waiting for my results from DWP. One question that the assessor asked me, was, how did you get here today. I said by car. She asked who drove (i had my son-in-law with me). I said that i had driven. She asked me how long was the journey, i said about 20 mins. Now i have severe upper body weakness. I have Osteoarthritis in all my joints, including my shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. She asked me if i could drive long journeys, i said no, just local driving, max 10 miles. I have recently changed my car from manual to automatic, because my knee joints were affecting my ability to use the clutch. My new car,s power steering is as light as a feather. I have wondered if i would lose my driving licence, if my health got worse. The reason i am writing this, is, when i am in a sitting position, the weight on my joints is not to bad, but i still feel pain, even when driving. Hence, i do not drive very far, and only use my car, once or twice a week. The DWP could conclude from this, that i am perfectly fine because i can drive, but because i can drive, does not take away my physical disabilities. I only use my car to visit my mum. But, if i didnt have a car, i would have to use a taxi. I coudnt use a bus, because i cannot walk very far. Just thought i would share this with you. All the best.....Miracle.

wilko · March 2019

@miracle, thank you for your comments, I know what you mean and going through for I can’t walk far to use buses and although i have a bus stop 50 meters away it’s getting on and off the bus while using a mobility scooter. Hospital visits would be nice to do using buses but again not scooter friendly, on my last six hospital appointments over three weeks I took the last disabled parking space Devine intervention. I always leave plenty of space between cars and avoid peek times but sometimes can’t be avoided. For PIP or ESA acessments I request taxis pay and reclaim fares.

freckles · March 2019

The end of my fingers are clubbed due to my ipf and i car,nt get tablets out of blister packs its so frustrating so my partner does it for me and as for driving cars have come along way with power steering and maybe one day self drivig cars would put the DWP in a spin

wilko · March 2019

The blister packs vary in their difficulty to open my pharmacy dispence some tablets in bottles if possible and it does help. As for driverless cars well that’s a different matter insurance claiming will be different plus speeding fine if the car goes over the limit who at fault the car or passenger/ driver.

freckles · March 2019

Quetiapine very small tablets hard to get out of blister packs

Driving

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